The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  THE THIRD STORY

  [Day the Tenth]

  MITHRIDANES, ENVYING NATHAN HIS HOSPITALITY AND GENEROSITY AND GOING TO KILL HIM, FALLETH IN WITH HIMSELF, WITHOUT KNOWING HIM, AND IS BY HIM INSTRUCTED OF THE COURSE HE SHALL TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE; BY MEANS WHEREOF HE FINDETH HIM, AS HE HIMSELF HAD ORDERED IT, IN A COPPICE AND RECOGNIZING HIM, IS ASHAMED AND BECOMETH HIS FRIEND

  Themseemed all they had heard what was like unto a miracle, to wit,that a churchman should have wrought anywhat magnificently; but, assoon as the ladies had left discoursing thereof, the king badeFilostrato proceed, who forthright began, "Noble ladies, great was themagnificence of the King of Spain and that of the Abbot of Cluny athing belike never yet heard of; but maybe it will seem to you no lessmarvellous a thing to hear how a man, that he might do generosity toanother who thirsted for his blood, nay, for the very breath of hisnostrils, privily bethought himself to give them to him, ay, and wouldhave done it, had the other willed to take them, even as I purpose toshow you in a little story of mine.

  It is a very certain thing (if credit may be given to the report ofdivers Genoese and others who have been in those countries) that therewas aforetime in the parts of Cattajo[443] a man of noble lineage andrich beyond compare, called Nathan, who, having an estate adjoining ahighway whereby as of necessity passed all who sought to go from thePonant to the Levant or from the Levant to the Ponant, and being a manof great and generous soul and desirous that it should be known by hisworks, assembled a great multitude of artificers and let build there,in a little space of time, one of the fairest and greatest and richestpalaces that had ever been seen, the which he caused excellently wellfurnished with all that was apt unto the reception and entertainmentof gentlemen. Then, having a great and goodly household, he therereceived and honourably entertained, with joyance and good cheer,whosoever came and went; and in this praiseworthy usance he perseveredinsomuch that not only the Levant, but well nigh all the Ponant, knewhim by report. He was already full of years nor was therefore grownweary of the practice of hospitality, when it chanced that his famereached the ears of a young man of a country not far from his own, byname Mithridanes, who, knowing himself no less rich than Nathan andwaxing envious of his renown and his virtues, bethought himself toeclipse or shadow them with greater liberality. Accordingly, lettingbuild a palace like unto that of Nathan, he proceeded to do the mostunbounded courtesies[444] that ever any did whosoever came or wentabout those parts, and in a short time he became without doubt veryfamous.

  [Footnote 443: _Cattajo._ This word is usually translated Cathay,_i.e._ China; but _semble_ Boccaccio meant rather the Dalmatianprovince of Cattaro, which would better answer the description in thetext, Nathan's estate being described as adjoining a highway leadingfrom the Ponant (or Western shores of the Mediterranean) to the Levant(or Eastern shores), _e.g._ the road from Cattaro on the Adriatic toSalonica on the AEgean. Cathay (China) seems, from the circumstances ofthe case, out of the question, as is also the Italian town calledCattaio, near Padua.]

  [Footnote 444: _i.e._ to show the most extravagant hospitality.]

  It chanced one day that, as he abode all alone in the midcourt of hispalace, there came in, by one of the gates, a poor woman, who soughtof him an alms and had it; then, coming in again to him by the second,she had of him another alms, and so on for twelve times in succession;but, whenas she returned for the thirteenth time, he said to her,'Good woman, thou art very diligent in this thine asking,' andnatheless gave her an alms. The old crone, hearing these words,exclaimed, 'O liberality of Nathan, how marvellous art thou! For that,entering in by each of the two-and-thirty gates which his palace hath,and asking of him an alms, never, for all that he showed, was Irecognized of him, and still I had it; whilst here, having as yet comein but at thirteen gates, I have been both recognized and chidden.' Sosaying, she went her ways and returned thither no more. Mithridanes,hearing the old woman's words, flamed up into a furious rage, as hewho held that which he heard of Nathan's fame a diminishment of hisown, and fell to saying, 'Alack, woe is me! When shall I attain toNathan's liberality in great things, let alone overpass it, as I seekto do, seeing that I cannot approach him in the smallest? Verily, Iweary myself in vain, an I remove him not from the earth; wherefore,since eld carrieth him not off, needs must I with mine own hands do itwithout delay.'

  Accordingly, rising upon that motion, he took horse with a smallcompany, without communicating his design to any, and came after threedays whereas Nathan abode. He arrived there at eventide and biddinghis followers make a show of not being with him and provide themselveswith lodging, against they should hear farther from him, abode aloneat no great distance from the fair palace, where he found Nathan allunattended, as he went walking for his diversion, without any pomp ofapparel, and knowing him not, asked him if he could inform him whereNathan dwelt. 'My son,' answered the latter cheerfully, 'there is nonein these parts who is better able than I to show thee that; wherefore,whenas it pleaseth thee, I will carry thee thither.' Mithridanesrejoined that this would be very acceptable to him, but that, an itmight be, he would fain be neither seen nor known of Nathan; and thelatter said, 'That also will I do, since it pleaseth thee.'Mithridanes accordingly dismounted and repaired to the goodly palace,in company with Nathan, who quickly engaged him in most pleasantdiscourse. There he caused one of his servants take the young man'shorse and putting his mouth to his ear, charged him take order withall those of the house, so none should tell the youth that he wasNathan; and so was it done. Moreover, he lodged him in a very goodlychamber, where none saw him, save those whom he had deputed to thisservice, and let entertain him with the utmost honour, himself bearinghim company.

  After Mithridanes had abidden with him awhile on this wise, he askedhim (albeit he held him in reverence as a father) who he was; to whichNathan answered, 'I am an unworthy servant of Nathan, who have grownold with him from my childhood, nor hath he ever advanced me tootherwhat than that which thou seest me; wherefore, albeit every oneelse is mighty well pleased with him, I for my part have little causeto thank him.' These words afforded Mithridanes some hope of availingwith more certitude and more safety to give effect to his perversedesign, and Nathan very courteously asking him who he was and whatoccasion brought him into those parts and proffering him his adviceand assistance insomuch as lay in his power, he hesitated awhile toreply, but, presently, resolving to trust himself to him, he with along circuit of words[445] required him first of secrecy and after ofaid and counsel and entirely discovered to him who he was andwherefore and on what motion he came. Nathan, hearing his discourseand his cruel design, was inwardly all disordered; but nevertheless,without much hesitation, he answered him with an undaunted mind and afirm countenance, saying, 'Mithridanes, thy father was a noble man andthou showest thyself minded not to degenerate from him, in havingentered upon so high an emprise as this thou hast undertaken, to wit,to be liberal unto all; and greatly do I commend the jealousy thoubearest unto Nathan's virtues, for that, were there many such,[446]the world, that is most wretched, would soon become good. The designthat thou hast discovered to me I will without fail keep secret; butfor the accomplishment thereof I can rather give thee useful counselthan great help; the which is this. Thou mayst from here see acoppice, maybe half a mile hence, wherein Nathan well nigh everymorning walketh all alone, taking his pleasure there a pretty longwhile; and there it will be a light matter to thee to find him and dothy will of him. If thou slay him, thou must, so thou mayst returnhome without hindrance, get thee gone, not by that way thou camest,but by that which thou wilt see issue forth of the coppice on the lefthand, for that, albeit it is somewhat wilder, it is nearer to thycountry and safer for thee.'

  [Footnote 445: Or as we should say, "After much beating about thebush."]

  [Footnote 446: _i.e._ jealousies.]

  Mithridanes, having received this information and Nathan having takenleave of him, privily let his companions, who had, like himself, takenup their sojourn in the pala
ce, know where they should look for him onthe morrow; and the new day came, Nathan, whose intent was nowise atvariance with the counsel he had given Mithridanes nor was anywisechanged, betook himself alone to the coppice, there to die. Meanwhile,Mithridanes arose and taking his bow and his sword, for other arms hehad not, mounted to horse and made for the coppice, where he sawNathan from afar go walking all alone. Being resolved, ere he attackedhim, to seek to see him and hear him speak, he ran towards him andseizing him by the fillet he had about his head, said, 'Old man, thouart dead.' Whereto Nathan answered no otherwhat than, 'Then have Imerited it.' Mithridanes, hearing his voice and looking him in theface, knew him forthright for him who had so lovingly received himand familiarly companied with him and faithfully counselled him;whereupon his fury incontinent subsided and his rage was changed intoshame. Accordingly, casting away the sword, which he had alreadypulled out to smite him, and lighting down from his horse, he ran,weeping, to throw himself at Nathan's feet and said to him, 'Now,dearest father, do I manifestly recognize your liberality, consideringwith what secrecy you are come hither to give me your life, whereof,without any reason, I showed myself desirous, and that to yourself;but God, more careful of mine honour than I myself, hath, in theextremest hour of need, opened the eyes of my understanding, whichvile envy had closed. Wherefore, the readier you have been to complywith me, so much the more do I confess myself beholden to do penancefor my default. Take, then, of me the vengeance which you deemconformable to my sin.'

  Nathan raised Mithridanes to his feet and tenderly embraced and kissedhim, saying, 'My son, it needeth not that thou shouldst ask nor that Ishould grant forgiveness of thine emprise, whatever thou choosest tostyle it, whether wicked or otherwise; for that thou pursuedst it, notof hatred, but to win to be held better. Live, then, secure from meand be assured that there is no man alive who loveth thee as I do,having regard to the loftiness of thy soul, which hath given itself,not to the amassing of monies, as do the covetous, but to theexpenditure of those that have been amassed. Neither be thou ashamedof having sought to slay me, so though mightest become famous, northink that I marvel thereat. The greatest emperors and the mostillustrious kings have, with well nigh none other art than that ofslaying, not one man, as thou wouldst have done, but an infinitemultitude of men, and burning countries and razing cities, enlargedtheir realms and consequently their fame; wherefore, an thou wouldst,to make thyself more famous, have slain me only, thou diddest no newnor extraordinary thing, but one much used.'

  Mithridanes, without holding himself excused of his perverse design,commended the honourable excuse found by Nathan and came, in course ofconverse with him, to say that he marvelled beyond measure how hecould have brought himself to meet his death and have gone so far aseven to give him means and counsel to that end; whereto quoth Nathan,'Mithridanes, I would not have thee marvel at my resolution nor at thecounsel I gave thee, for that, since I have been mine own master andhave addressed myself to do that same thing which thou hast undertakento do, there came never any to my house but I contented him, so far asin me lay, of that which was required of me by him. Thou camesthither, desirous of my life; wherefore, learning that thou soughtestit, I straightway determined to give it thee, so thou mightest not bethe only one to depart hence without his wish; and in order that thoumightest have thy desire, I gave thee such counsel as I thought apt toenable thee to have my life and not lose thine own; and therefore Itell thee once more and pray thee, an it please thee, take it andsatisfy thyself thereof. I know not how I may better bestow it. Thesefourscore years have I occupied it and used it about my pleasures andmy diversions, and I know that in the course of nature, according asit fareth with other men and with things in general, it can now beleft me but a little while longer; wherefore I hold it far better tobestow it by way of gift, like as I have still given and expended my[other] treasures, than to seek to keep it until such times as itshall be taken from me by nature against my will. To give an hundredyears is no great boon; how much less, then, is it to give the six oreight I have yet to abide here? Take it, then, an it like thee.Prithee, then, take it, an thou have a mind thereto; for that neveryet, what while I have lived here, have I found any who hath desiredit, nor know I when I may find any such, an thou, who demandest it,take it not. And even should I chance to find any one, I know that,the longer I keep it, the less worth will it be; therefore, ere it waxsorrier, take it, I beseech thee.'

  Mithridanes was sore abashed and replied, 'God forbid I should, letalone take and sever from you a thing of such price as your life, buteven desire to do so, as but late I did,--your life, whose years farfrom seeking to lessen, I would willingly add thereto of mine own!'Whereto Nathan straightway rejoined, 'And art thou indeed willing, itbeing in thy power to do it, to add of thy years unto mine and in sodoing, to cause me do for thee that which I never yet did for any man,to wit, take of thy good, I who never yet took aught of others?' 'Ayam I,' answered Mithridanes in haste. 'Then,' said Nathan, 'thou mustdo as I shall bid thee. Thou shalt take up thine abode, young as thouart, here in my house and bear the name of Nathan, whilst I willbetake myself to thy house and let still call myself Mithridanes.'Quoth Mithridanes, 'An I knew how to do as well as you have done anddo, I would, without hesitation, take that which you proffer me; but,since meseemeth very certain that my actions would be a diminishmentof Nathan's fame and as I purpose not to mar in another that which Iknow not how to order in myself, I will not take it.' These and manyother courteous discourses having passed between them, they returned,at Nathan's instance, to the latter's palace, where he entertainedMithridanes with the utmost honour sundry days, heartening him in hisgreat and noble purpose with all manner of wit and wisdom. Then,Mithridanes desiring to return to his own house with his company, hedismissed him, having throughly given him to know that he might neveravail to outdo him in liberality."